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First Edition Cycling News for December 3, 2004

Edited by Hedwig Kröner and Jeff Jones

ProTour saga continues

On Wednesday, December 1, the International Cycling Union announced
a deal between the three Grand Tour organisers and the UCI with respect
to the inclusion of Tour de France, Giro and Vuelta as well as other important
World Cup races. After months of negotiation, the remaining 11 races were
finally included in the ProTour, next year's professional road racing
calendar, which will therefore count 27 races in total. But on Thursday,
French daily Le Parisien quoted the director of Tour de France
organiser ASO, Patrice Clerc, as saying, "We have not become part of the
ProTour," indicating that a real agreement still hasn't been reached.
Le Parisien went as far as saying that UCI president Hein Verbruggen
bluffed by publishing the notice, while Patrice Clerc explained that the
meaning of the announcement can be interpreted in different ways.

"Real differences still exist between us, especially on ethical and
doping questions, which prevent us from reaching an agreement on the concept
of the ProTour," Clerc stated, adding, "Of course, the international calendar
will be called the UCI ProTour in 2005. I can't stop Verbruggen from calling
it that." The new-found settlement therefore seems to be a matter of names,
since the UCI's World Cup will cease to exist.

"We took into account the legitimate teams' and organisers' concerns,
which could not continue in this uncertainty any longer. There just had
to be a calendar. It's a provisional solution for 2005. The situation
is unblocked, but we're far from being ready. On October 1, for example,
we decided to engage in an ethical code. Two months later, this code is
still not written."

Perez vows to continue

Like his teammate Tyler Hamilton, Santiago Perez has also been let go
by Phonak in a belated attempt to save the team's ProTour chances. Like
Hamilton, Perez tested positive for a homologous blood transfusion in
October, and now finds himself facing a possible two year suspension for
doping. But the 27 year-old believes that he still has a future in cycling,
even if he is found guilty.

"I am young and even if the worst comes to the worst, I would still
be able to come back, but it would be a very big blow," he told Marca.
"I am preparing to show my innocence, but first I would like them to show
that I am guilty...I continue to the wait for the opinion of the scientists
on the [testing] method, whether or not it is reliable."

Perez said that he "couldn't understand [the UCI's] decision" to exclude
Phonak from the Pro-Tour, even after both he and Hamilton had supposedly
been sacrificed for the cause. "They were looking for economically solvent
and serious teams for four years, and Phonak was one of them. It's not
fair...With respect to what happened in the team, if nothing changed after
they let me go last week, it's evident that the problem wasn't me."

Perez added that he is still doing his pre-season training as normal,
and is hoping that things will work out in his favour.

Domina Vacanze disagrees with Scarponi's transfer

Michele Scarponi's transfer from Domina Vacanze to Liberty Seguros has
not pleased his former team. Domina Vacanze's management company Blue
Sea Services has issued a statement to the effect that Scarponi still
holds a valid contract with them, and that they will take legal action
against him to ensure that the contract is enforced.

Renäng to ComNet-Senges

Swedish rider Petter Renäng, after not
being able to continue with team Liquigas-Bianchi, will become part
of German Div. III team ComNet-Senges in 2005. Renäng will be one of the
team's leaders and hopes that this step will result in a pro contract
in 2006.

Spiuk - Spain's second Continental team

After Orbea, a second Spanish team has made the step into the UCI's
Continental circuit: team Spiuk from Spain's Extremadura region. Its main
sponsor is the cycling gear manufacturer Spiuk Sport Line, and has ten
riders on its roster at the moment, with Jesús del Nero Montes and Jesús
Pérez Priego (Caja Castilla-La Mancha) also likely to join. Spiuk will
be directed by Alfonso Rodríguez Hidalgo, and the riders will race on
Kuips bikes, also a brand of its main sponsor.

Colavita adds Palmer-Komar and new sponsor to women's team

The Colavita professional women's cycling team has signed Canadian Sue
Palmaer-Komar to its roster for 2005. "Sue is coming off one of her best-ever
seasons in 2004," said the team's new director John Alsedek. "In addition
to winning the Canadian National Time Trial, the St. Amand Montrond French
Cup event, and America's famous Fitchburg Longsjo Classic, Sue also placed
second overall in the Tour de 'Toona, one of the world's longest multi-day
races for women, earned a trip to the Athens Olympics, and placed fourth
in the Flèche Wallonne, arguably the toughest of the Women's World Cup
events."

The team has also announced a new co-sponsor for its program: Cooking
Light, the world's largest food and fitness magazine. As part of the sponsorship,
Cooking Light and Colavita will be co-hosting a bike safety and nutrition
fair in Maplewood, N.J. this spring and a bike trip through the Colavita
region of Italy during next autumn's olive harvest season.

Wiggins back on track

Triple Olympic medallist Bradley Wiggins returns to the international
track scene in round three of the Track Cycling World Cup in Manchester
on January 7-9. Wiggins confirmed last week that the Manchester event
would be his only appearance in this season's World Cup series.

"It's always a homecoming for me at the Velodrome, especially as I've
lived in Manchester for the past few years," he said. "I expect to ride
the distance races, which could mean the Madison, points and scratch race."

Wiggins' likely teammate in the Madison will be Rob Hayles, his partner
in their bronze medal ride at the Athens Olympics. Olympic pursuit champion
Wiggins plans to take a break from pursuiting for the next two years.
Then he will start his build-up for the defence of his title at the Beijing
Games.

Wiggins, along with the other British medallists, has been much in demand
over the winter. "It's been a good break for me, one that I needed. Now
I'm turning down a lot of invitations and am back on the training treadmill,"
he said.

The Manchester meeting will be one of the last opportunities to see Wiggins
in action on the track this winter, with just one more race remaining.
"I'm concentrating on the road in the coming season," said Wiggins. Immediately
after the World Cup, he heads for South Australia to lead the Credit Agricole
squad in the Jacob's Creek Tour Down Under, starting on January 18.

Ford to Tassie carnivals

Australian Junior Track Cyclist of the Year, Michael Ford, has been
confirmed for this month's Basslink Tasmanian Christmas Carnivals Series.
Earlier this year, Ford smashed a 10 year-old World record at the Australian
National track championships in the 3000m individual pursuit. Ford was
clocked at 3:17.775 during the event, beating previous record holder Brad
McGee's time by two seconds. In August, Ford won both the World Junior
Individual and Team Pursuit Championships in Los Angeles.

Ford has ridden the Tasmanian Carnivals previously as a junior, but
will now take the challenge up to the big guns of the sport. He will join
a growing list of big name riders in the Tasmanian Carnivals, including
the already announced Jame Carney, Shane Kelly, Ashley Hutchinson, Christian
Lademann, Nathan Clarke and American Bobby Lea. Sports Carnivals Association
of Tasmania Chairman, Mr Grant Atkins is expecting to make further rider
announcements within the next two weeks.

Melbourne Cup on Wheels on Saturday

A field of 100 elite cyclists has been confirmed for the Melbourne Cup
on Wheels track cycling meet at Vodafone Arena this Saturday, December
4. International cycling stars of the likes of Shane Kelly, Sean Eadie,
Ben Kersten and Kerrie Meares (all Australian Team members) will be competing
against the best from New Zealand, New Caledonia, Fiji and Tahiti as well
as a host of other Australian Cycling stars.

Handicaps for the main event, the Melbourne Cup on Wheels, have been
released with four riders (Shane Kelly, Todd Wilksch, Darren Young and
young Stephen Rossendell) all riding from the scratch mark. Ben Kersten,
being in excellent form after dominating an event in Sydney last weekend,
will also be competing.

The event, which commences at 6.30 pm, has also attracted a record field
of 30 female entries which will contest a packed program of handicap,
scratch and Keirin races. Amongst others, Joanne Kiesanowski (NZ - Athens
Olympian), Liz Williams (NZ - Oceania Champion) and Belinda Goss (AUS
- Australian Representative) will be competing.

The Melbourne Cup on Wheels program will also include a number of Oceania
Championship events, including the Men’s Keirin, the Women’s Sprint, the
Junior Men’s Scratch race and the Women’s Individual Pursuit.

Tickets are on sale at Ticketek (www.ticketek.com) from $20, and season tickets are available
prior to the Melbourne Cup on Wheels for the 3 race International Track
Series being held at Vodafone Arena.

Seymour on the edge

The All-Ireland Cyclo-Cross Championships will be hosted by the Haldane
Fisher Newry Wheelers Cycling Club in Kilbroney Park, Rostrevor on Saturday,
December 4.

The pre-championship events were handicapped, thus on this occasion
making the handicapper redundant as everybody comes out of the starting
blocks, more or less on level pegging. The seeded competitors have a slight
advantage as they are on the front grid. So, many of the competitors will
from the outset be off the pace as the leaders roll off for the start
of the championships.

The defending champion Robin Seymour goes for his 14th straight victory
as champion, but in all probability he'll be conscious of the number 13
and the connotations that surround the merits or demerits of that infamous
number, depending on his belief in superstition! He can't take it for
granted that he'll have it all his own way because of Roger Aiken from
Banbridge Cycling Club who has put in some solid displays over the last
number of weeks.

Roger got the better of Robin by over a minute last weekend in Bangor.
But Seymour is very down to earth about his prospects and realises that
he has his work cut out to keep the title. "Yes, it is good for the sport
that somebody is knocking on the door," said Robin. "He beat me in
Bangor fairly and squarely which I have to say has not been one of my
happy hunting grounds and Roger has been always in contention over the
last number of years! So, maybe it could be his year."

Two weeks ago, Paul Christopher from Banteer CC also had the satisfaction
of beating Robin, but that was on the basis of the handicapper.

If Christopher makes the long haul to Rostervor, he could very much
cause an upset. All the indications are pointing to the demise of the
champion, but I still feel that he'll get the better of the opposition
on the day and finally call it quits.

There is ample parking; good changing facilities, a restaurant and an
excellent course that has been designed for the championships. Racing
starts at 11.00 with the underage championships sponsored by Noel McKinley
Builder, and the main senior race sponsored by J C Campbell Honda / Citroen
starting at 12.30.

California State Cyclocross Championships

The Home Depot Center Sports Complex in Carson, CA, USA will host the
Scary Fast California State Cyclocross Championships on December 5, 2004.
The 1.2 mile course will have a variety of challenging elevations around
the ADT Velodrome including two run-up sections. This is the first Cyclocross
event to be held at the Home Depot Center.

Racing begins promptly at 11am. During the event, spectators are welcome
to watch World Cup Track Racers who will be training on the Velodrome
for the up coming UCI World Cup Track event which starts on December 10.